Dick Patten joins Concord City Council race as filing period ends

Ward 8 City Councilor Dick Patten filed to run for re-election yesterday, creating a three-way race for his seat.

Patten said earlier this week that he would not seek a fourth term on the city council because he wanted to devote time in his role as a state representative, spend time with his family and work on planning the 100th anniversary celebration for the Concord Grange.

Yesterday, Patten filed to run by petition. He did not return messages left yesterday evening.

The filing period for the Nov. 5 election ended yesterday. Seven races are contested this fall, and four voting wards have three-way races for a single seat. Two candidates are challenging three-term Mayor Jim Bouley, and six candidates are vying for two citywide council positions.

John Cook, a veteran and retired state employee who unsuccessfully challenged Bouley in 2011, is running for mayor again this year. Chris Booth, a retired electrical engineer who is opposed to the city’s acquisition of an armored BearCat vehicle, is also running for mayor. Bouley, a 47-year-old lobbyist and East Concord resident, is seeking a fourth term.

The at-large council race has six candidates, including current Ward 4 Councilor Amanda Grady Sexton and Ward 10 Councilor Fred Keach. Also running are Timothy Willis of Thorndike Street, Scott Welch of Borough Road, Josh VanBuskirk of Wyman Street and Samantha Clattenburg, also of Wyman Street.

In Penacook, three candidates are competing for the seat left open by Councilor Liz Blanchard. Brent Todd, 49, is an analyst for Electric Insurance. Cassandra Rasmussen, 30, is a customer service representative. Adam Czarkowski, 35, works at DSCI Corp. and lost a close race to Blanchard in 2011.

Tim Bauman and Allan Herschlag are competing for the open Ward 2 council seat. This year marks the fifth city council campaign for Herschlag, a 63-year-old retired city maintenance worker, Concord High School coach and landscaper. Bauman, 51, is a business analyst and manager in commercial real estate.

Ward 3 Councilor Jan McClure is facing two challengers this fall. Jennifer Kretovic, who now represents Ward 2 but lives in Ward 3 due to redistricting, and Rick Cibotti, who last ran for the council in 2009, are running against her.

Ward 4 also has three candidates. At-large Councilor Michael DelloIacono recently purchased a home in Ward 4 and decided to run in his neighborhood. Also running are newcomers Kevin Bloom, a 52-year-old lobbyist and brewery consultant, and Byron Champlin, a 63-year-old program officer for Lincoln Financial Group.

In Ward 8, Patten will face opposition from Dennis Soucy, 62, of Russell Street, who works part time at Banks Chevrolet. Soucy, who is a friend of Patten’s, said last night that he was still planning to run. He said he was not convinced that Patten is seeking re-election.

Gail Matson of Garvins Falls Road is also running in Ward 8. Matson, 51, works for the state insurance department and said she wanted to become more involved in her community.

“I feel like I am representative of the people that live in . . . this city,” she said. “We work, we have children, we have families and we want a nice place to live. I am an average person and come with an average person’s viewpoint, I believe, of everything we are concerned about. We’re concerned about paying our bills, taking care of our houses and our children and moving forward in life.”

There will be at least five familiar faces on the next city council: Rob Werner in Ward 5, Allen Bennett in Ward 6, Keith Nyhan in Ward 7, Candace Bouchard in Ward 9 and Dan St. Hilaire in Ward 10 are running unopposed.